Annunciator



21, 12937, L J STEVENS 2,393,123

ANNUNCIATOR Filed May 15, 1935 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 21, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

This invention relates generally to a single light annunciator connected in circuit with means to intermittently flash one or more lights in said annunciator.

An object of my invention is to provide an annunciator connected with an electric signal system and which is adapted to change a path of electric current automatically into the system after an elapsed period of time, thereby flashing l a light or other signal in the annunciator off and on.

Another object of my invention is to provide a device connected in circuit with the elevator signal system to indicate by intermittent flashing of a light, every call for an elevator which has not been attended to in a predetermined period of time.

Another object of my invention is to provide in combination with a signal device, a vertically reciprocating rod and means to raise said rod and thereby close an electric circuit to set a flashing light in said signal device in operation.

Other objects and advantages are to provide an annunicator that will be superior in point of simplicity, inexpensiveness of construction, positiveness of operation, and facility and'convenience in use and general efficiency.

In this specification and the annexed drawings, the invention is illustrated in the form considered to be the best, but it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to such form, because it may be embodied in other forms; and it is also to be understood that in and by the claims following the description, it is desired to cover the invention in whatsoever form it may be embodied.

My invention is illustrated in two sheets of drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a transverse section through a device constructed in accordance with my invention, the parts thereof being shown in idle position.

Fig. 2 is the same section as shown in Fig. 1, showing the position of the parts at the beginning of a signaling operation.

Fig. 3 is a section similar to Fig. 2, showing the position of parts at the end of the signaling operation.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view along the line 4-4 of Fig. l, a portion thereof being shown in elevation.

Fig. 5 shows an electric circuit of one unit of the signal system.

Fig. 6 shows an electric circuit including four units of the signal system.

Fig. '7 is a side view of the signal interrupter.

5 Signal systems employed in connection with elevators in modern buildings include push buttons on every floor, connected in circuit with one or more elevators to stop one of said elevators at the floor or floors from which a signal may be given, in conjunction with a master signal 5 board which indicates by a light or lights, the fact that one or more floor buttons have been actuated, said call lig ts on the master board being extinguished automatically when the elevator stops at the floor or floors from which the 10 call was made.

A person desiring to stop an elevator pushes the usual button and a light on the master signal board immediately indicates the calling floor. The light stays illuminated until the elel5 vator stops and picks up the calling passenger. In a case where several signal lights on the board are illuminated at the same time, indicating that there are people on several floors awaiting elevator service, the elevator dispatcher has no means of knowing how long the person or persons have been waiting on the several floors, to be picked up. Satisfactory service is obtained where the average wait does not exceed twenty seconds. With my invention I provide means for causing the lighted floor lights on the master signal board to flash at intervals, if the call for an elevator from any floor has not been attended to for more than twenty seconds, thereby attracting the attention of the dispatcher, who may 30 direct any elevator to stop at that particular floor.

My invention may be used in connection with any signal system such as telephone switch boards, hospital signal systems and the like. 35

My light flashing device comprises a frame I of suitable dimensions, to which an upper housing 2 is affixed. The latter carries a motor 3 which is connected to a speed reduction mechanism 4 to drive a shaft 4 on which is mounted a 40 gear 5 meshing with gears 6 and l on the shafts 9 and 10, respectively. The shafts 9 and ID are rotatably supported in the walls ii and 12 of the housing 2 and carry a plurality of rollers 13 arranged in pairs, as is illustrated in the drawings, Figs. 1 thru 4. A continuously rotating interrupter 60 is arranged on the shaft 4 to make and break contact between the contacts 5l-52 connected in circuit with a signal light 48, to cause said light to flash off and on. 50

The device is comprised of a plurality of identical units, there being one unit for each floor push button, wherefore the description of one unit will suffice.

A vertically disposed rod 15 is arranged opv posite each pair of the driving rollers it, said rod being slidably confined in the frame and housing. The upper end of the rod is guided in an opening IS in the top ll of the housing 2, and the lower end of the rod is confined in a bushing 18 which is slidable in an opening 59 in the frame .I. The openings [6 and l h are of slightly larger diameters than those of the rod and bushing, to allow slight lateral movement of the said rod.

Opposite each pair of rollers l3 and the rod 15, is located an idler roller 2i. The center of the roller 2! is approximately midway between the centers of each pair of rollers E3. The roller 2| is journaled on an end of a bell-crank 22, which is iulcrumed at its elbow to a shaft 23. The other end of the bell-crank 22 is pivote-d to a post 2 carried by a bar 25. The bar 25, has one end pivotally connected to the plunger 26 of a solenoid 2? carried by the housing 2. The other end of the said bar is supported on a pawl 28, fulcrumed to the shaft 23. When the solenoid 21 is actuated by a push button 46, the plunger 26 is pulled upwardly as shown in Fig. 2, and the bar 25 is swung upwardly, thereby moving the bell-crank 22 with the roller 2! thereon, into frictional contact with the rod 15, and holding said rod in contact with the driving rollers l3, whereby said rod is elevated vertically and simultaneously the signal light 38 is illuminated and it stays illuminated while the rod l5 raises.

The bar 25 carries spaced, insulated contacts 3! and 32 respectively, separated by a switch member 33, one end of which is affixed to the insulating block 35 and the other end to a pin 3% which passes through an enlarged opening 3? in the bar 25. The pin 35 is mounted on an arm of the bell-crank 22. In the idle position the lower contact 32 contacts with the center switch member 33.

The motor 3 drives the rollers it; constantly, and normally has no driving eifect on the rod [5. At the moment a floor signal signal button 66 (see'Fig. 5), located on a certain iioor, is pushed, a relay ll, for stopping the elevator at .the selected floor, is actuated, and a switch d2 in the elevator control system is closed, thereby establishing two electric circuits.

The first'circuit includes a wire 43 connected to a source of energy and to the switch 32, and thence thru a wire id to the solenoid 27 which actuates or lifts the bar 25 and roller 2!, thereby setting the rod 55 in motion. The wire 4G leading to the solenoid 271 is connected back to the source of energy. The second circuit includes the switch 32, wire 4%, the lower contact 32, the switch 53, the wire 3? and the floor light #8 located on the master signal board, said light 48 being connected in circuit with the return Wire 44. When the light burns continuously, it indicates that a passenger is waiting on the certain floor from which the signal originated. It

takes approximately twenty seconds for the rod 15 to be raised by the driving rollers from its idle position to its uppermost position; As the .rod l5 reaches the peak of its movement, the

bushing I3 strikes the arm 28 on pawl 28 and disengages the pawl from the bar 25, as shown in Fig. 3. The rod 15 then drops to its idle position and likewise the bar 25 then drops to an idle position and the switch 33 engages the upper contact 3! thereby closing a circuit thru the wire 1 33, the wire tyand an interrupter contact 5| As the current passes continuously illuminated light commences to flash off and on, thereby calling the attention of the dispatcher to the fact that a floor call has not been attended to by an elevator for longer than twenty seconds. The dispatcher then routes an elevator immediately to the floor to pickup the waiting passenger.

When' the elevator stops to pick up a passenger it operates a switch 52, and thereby energizes a relay 53, and cuts out the relay ll and the switch The plunger 26 then drops by gravity and returnsthe bar 25in counter-clockwise direction about the axis of the post 24. The right end of the bar 25 then strikes the inclined portion 55 of the pawl 28, and snaps into engagement therewith. The device is again ready for operation.

A stop 56 is formed on the pawl 28 to abut against the bell-crank 22 to hold the pawl 28 in position to be engaged by an end of the bar 25.

In Fig. 4 of the drawings, I have shown four units, each unit being electrically connected with a push button on one of four floors. The pressing of a floor button operates a certain unit representing that fioor, and a lamp representing that floor, will light on the master signal board.

Fig. 6 shows a wiring diagram of four units. Wires l0 and H are connected with a source of electric current. Wires 32 lead from the wire ll to the switches 42. When a push button on a certain floor is pressed, the switch 42 connected with that particular button is closed and two electric circuits are established, one operates the relay 2i and the other the light it on the signal board. If the call of the push button is not served by the elevatorin twenty seconds, the switch 33 connected to the light at has its position changed by the moving rod I5, and connects the light 48 with the interrupter 5| thereby changing the steadily glowing light into a flashing one. The dispatcher answers the alarm of the flashing light in the manner hereinbefore described, and the elevator, after it has picked up the waiting passenger, restores the signaling system to its normal, idle position.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with an elevator signal system including a push button and a signal light electrically connected therewith to be lluminated whenever the button is actuated, of a constant running motor, an interrupter attached thereto, rollers driven by' the motor, a rod to be elevated by said rollers, an idler roller swingingly supported adjacent said rod, an electromagnet electrically connected with the push button to swing said idler roller into contact with the rod and'to move the rod into engagement with the driving rollers to elevate the rod through a selected path of travel, and means associated with said. rod for simultaneously disconnecting the idler roller from contact therewith when the rod reaches a selected point in its travel and to allow the rod to drop, and for placing the interrupter in circuit with the light, to cause said light to flash at intervals. I

' zfAn e'levator signaling system including a master panel having a collection of lights thereon, each light indicating a predetermined floor, and a push button on each floor in circuit with a predetermined floor light on the master panel in combination with an electromagnet in circuit with said push button, a driving member, a shaft to be elevated by said driving member, a roller actuated by the electromagnet to engage said shaft with the driving member, and means operated in timed relation with the driving member to intermittently interrupt the flow of current to a light on the master panel corresponding to a certain floor on which the button has been pressed, said last mentioned means being rendered operative by movement of the shaft.

3. In a signal system comprising an electric signal and separate circuits capable of being selectively connected with said signal for producing diiierent signal efiects, means for controlling said circuits comprising a pivoted arm, a second pivoted arm having a pivotal connection with the first named arm, switch means controlling the selection of said circuits carried by one arm, a link between the other arm .and the switch means whereby the switch means will be actuated upon movement of the arms about their respective pivots, and means for controlling the movement of said arms.

a. In an elevator signal system comprising a movable member and means including an electromagnet for controlling movement thereof, a circuit including said electromagnet, a second circuit, an interrupter in said second circuit, a signal light, means comprising a norm-ally closed switch for including the light in the first named circu t and also comprising a normally open switch for placing the light in said second circuit, and means engageable by said movable member to open the normally closed switch, close the normally open switch, and return the movable member to its starting position.

5. In an elevator signal system comprising a movable member and means including an electromagnet for controlling movement thereof, a circuit including said electromagnet, a second circuit, an interrupter in said second circuit, a sig nal light, means comprising a normally closed switch for including the light in the first named circuit and also comprising a normally open switch for placing the light in said second circuit, means engageable by said movable member to open the normally closed switch, close the normally open switch, and return the movable member to its starting position, and means effective upon the stopping of an elevator in response to the signal light for returning the switches to their normal positions.

6. In an elevator signal system comprising a movable member and means including an electromagnet for controlling movement thereof, a circuit including said electromagnet, a second circuit, an interrupter in said second circuit, a signal light, means comprising a normally closed switch for including the light in the first named circuit and also comprising a normally open switch for placing the light in said second circuit, and means actuated by said movable member to open the normally closed switch, close the normally open switch and return the movable me nber to its starting position.

7. In an elevator signal system comprising a movable member and means including an electromagnet for controlling movement thereof, a circuit including said electromagnet, a second circuit, an interrupter in said second circuit, an electric signal, means comprising a normally closed switch for including the signal in the first named circuit and also comprising a normally open switch for placing the signal in said second circuit, and means engageable by said movable member to open the normally closed switch, close the normally open switch and return the movable member to its starting position.

LEO J. STEVENS. 

